Green cover gone, Bengaluru baking. Now it is your problem to fix

Bengaluru: Bengaluru's green cover has fallen from 78% to 6%, its natural cooling systems are gone, and the city is baking.

A new digital platform wants residents to stop complaining and start acting.

The Neighbourhoods of the Future (NOTF) platform, backed by the Rainmatter Foundation, has launched a hyperlocal data and project hub to address the city's worsening ecology.

Sathya Sankaran, Urban Strategy Lead at the Rainmatter Foundation, said the bigger obstacle to urban reform was not infrastructure, but mindset.

"Today, nobody cares or bothers about any issues in their neighbourhood; all have become consumers and only blame others. The idea is to have local ownership for a climate-friendly future," Sankaran said. "The idea behind the platform is to reach a point where more and more people think about civic issues," he added.

The loss of green cover, documented in a recent Indian Institute of Science (IISc) study, has stripped the city of its natural cooling capacity, leaving residents exposed as urban heat islands intensify across 369 wards.

The NOTF platform tracks seven climate sectors — water, energy and transportation among them — and sets targets, including 100% waste segregation by 2025 and a 40% reduction in PM10 air pollutants by 2026.

Around 14 active communities, including the Banashankari Environmental Forum and the Bellandur Development Forum, are already driving local interventions through the platform.

Beyond data, the platform functions as a civic matchmaking engine. Its Nudge Unit  doesn’t just collect data, but it actively connects people’s needs (Asks) with solutions (Gives).

"Across cities, many communities are taking small, but meaningful steps improving walkability, managing waste better and increasing green cover. Through NOTF, we are building a platform to showcase and connect such inspiring initiatives and creating a marketplace of practical climate solutions," Sankaran said.

The platform also hosts a repository of success stories — among them, "Rethinking Urban Waste in Hebbagodi" and "The Corner That Became a Home" — as proof that hyperlocal action can yield tangible results.

Residents and solution providers can register at notf.in/join and share their community stories. 

Umbrellas up as soaring temperatures drive visitors to seek shade outside the Vidhana Soudha on Tuesday. DH PHOTO/Ranju P